Three Little Monkeys by Quinten Blake, illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark

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Three Little Monkeys by Quentin Blake, 
illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark
Review Copy from Harper Collins
Story: Hilda Snibbs has three little monkeys - Sam, Tim and Lulu. Every day Hilda heads out on errands, reminding the trio to be good while she is away. I am sure you can guess what happens when the little monkeys are alone. The joy of Three Little Monkeys is seeing what they get up to, again and again, and the anticipation of waiting for them to stop making messes. As with all great picture books, Blake adds a hilarious twist in the coda.
Pictures: Emma Chichester Clark's illustrations are AMAZING! This book is marvelously crammed with details, from endpaper to endpaper, which show Hilda, basket in hand, walking down a leafy Parisienne street. Above the storefronts, cafes and elegant lampposts are apartments, and from the window of one, the three monkeys look down, watching Hilda leave.  In an interview with Blake, Clark revealed that she modeled Hilda after Kiki de Montparnasse, French artist's model, literary muse, nightclub singer, actress, memoirist and painter who lived in Paris in the 1920s. Clark embeds fabric designs throughout her illustrations, adding to the charm of every page. And the three monkeys are just too cute to be upset with. Clark captures their emotions and expressions, and those of Hilda, perfectly. I cannot stop poring over every page of this beautiful book! 
Why Read? Why Buy?: Sir Quentin Blake is a big name in kidlit, best known for illustrating  the novels of Roald Dahl, among many other works. Clark, a well established illustrator and author in her own right, was a student of Blake's in the 70s and illustrating a book that he has written (and chosen not to illustrate himself) is a big deal. That said, little listeners will definitely appreciate the repeated antics of the naughty little monkeys as well as the suspense waiting for them to finally behave. What makes Three Little Monkeys stand out on the shelf are the superb illustrations. Absolutely read this book, over and over. Buy this if you want to tickle and engage little listeners with a book you will not tire of reading.

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